MARK WARBURTON wants Rangers to hit the ground running and lay down a Championship title marker this term.

After impressive cup wins over Hibernian and Peterhead so far this season, the Light Blues kick-off their bid for the second tier crown at home to St Mirren on Friday night.

The Ibrox crowd have been impressed with Warburton and his newly assembled side as they have caught the eye in the opening weeks of the campaign.

Rangers will also host Hibernian and travel to Alloa and Queen of the South on league duty before the end of the month.

And boss Warburton is determined to get out of the traps quickly and has urged his side to show their title intentions from the off.

“I want us to be as high in the league as we possibly can be, simple as that, and we spoke about points targets last year but it is a different proposition this year because of the expectation," he told rangers.co.uk.

“I have every belief in the squad and I have no doubt how good they can be and we know what we need to do to have or be classed as having a good successful season.

“I very much hope that four or five games in, we can lay a marker down, a real marker.

“The Hibs game was a good performance and a good result but four or five games in you want to put the message out that things are more or less going in the right direction.

“We have to be the best we can be every single time we go onto that pitch, all the work we do here, day in and day out is focussed on the next performance.

“I think we have to devour the games, and I mean that is the right way, we have to look forward to them – like Sunday we played well and put a good performance in so you enjoy the win but now all the focus is on St Mirren."